Picture-frame-supporting means.



N. P. SEABERG.

PICTURE FRAME SUPPORTING MEANS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG. 6, 1910.

Patented Feb. -11, 1913.

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Application filed. December 5, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NILs P. SEABERG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented new and useful Improvements in Picture-Frame- SupportingMeans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to picture frames.

More particularly it relates to the supporting means for picture framesand the like, the object being to provide means by which a picture framemay be suspended with either side or either end upward, or may be madeto stand on a shelf or table with either side of either end upward.

It is also the object to provide a frame having the other advantages ofthe improvement herein shown.

An embodiment of the invention by which these objects are accomplishedis illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is anelevation of the back of a picture frame to which a device embodying theinvention is attached, arranged to be suspended; Fig. 2 is a bottom viewof the same; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same in section on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an end view showing the frame standing asan easel on a longer side; Fig.

' 5 is an end view on a larger scale, showing the frame arranged tostand on an easel on a shorter side; and Fig. 6 is an elevation of theback showing the frame arranged to hang with a shorter side up; andshowing also a modification of a detail.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents the back of a picture frame theedges of which are marked respectively 11, 12, 13 and 14. The back ispreferably formed of sheet metal. In the middle of the back is a pivot15, riveted thereto, on which is mounted a swivel piece 16, the free endof which is preferably shaped in two prongs 17 17, which terminate inclaw-like formations marked 18, 19. In the preferred form this pivot isset in a raised portion of the back marked 20, at one point in which isa recess or dent marked 21 of suitable size for the function hereinafterdescribed. The support 22, which may conveniently be made of wire, andwhich serves either as a hanger to suspend the frame from above or as astrut when the frame is standing on a table, is attached to the frame bythe Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 595,639.

claw-like formations. It has a portion indicated by the referencenumeral 23 which is bent with relation to the main part of the supportso that it stands at right angles thereto, parallel to the back, andthis part 23, is engaged under the claw forma-- tions, between them andthe back or the raised portion of the back 20. It serves both as meansfor attaching the support and as a pivot on which the main part of thesupport may swing from the position parallel to the back which itoccupies when used as a hanger, and to the position making an angle withthe back which it occupies when used as a strut or support resting on atable. The end 24 of this piece is bent around a sharp curve so that itforms a small hook or lateral projection. The connection between thepart 23, and the main portion of the piece 22, is also bent so that itis ofiset from the back, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3 when the piece 22hangs parallel with the back, and so that it swings against and engagesthe back as seen in Figs. 4 and 5 when the piece 22 is swung outward tomake an angle with the back and to serve as a strut support there for.In this last position, it constitutes a rest or support for the upperportion of the back when the device is standing on the table. The hook24, is large enough so that under ordinary conditions it prevents thepart 23 from slipping out of place endwise; and yet is small enough sothat it can slip under the claws 18, 19, under the circumstances now tobe described.

The portion 23 is made removable by providing the dent 21, which is at asuitable distance from the pivot so that when the claw 19 is near it,and the part 22 is parallel with the back, the hook 24 projects intothis dent. In any other position of the swivel the turning of the part22 into position parallel with the back turns the hook 24 against theback. The hook 24 which then presses against the back, forces theadjacent claw 19 outward away from the back; the swivel plate being madeof spring metal to permit this action. This spring pressure between theclaw and the back holds the part 23 in place by friction, and by thefact that the claw must be sprung still farther before the hook can passunder it. When however, the hook is turned into the dent 21 the springpressure is absent and a person holding the device Patented Feb. 11,1913.

in the hand can pull the part 2 1 through under the claw 19. Keeping thehook in the dent he can then swing the claw 18 on its swivel until itreaches the dent, when the hook end Qt may be drawn through claw 18also, thus removing the support or hanger 22, 23 entirely from the back.

The hook end 24 and the shaft 23 may be re-inserted in the same manner.The particular purpose in providing for their removal, however, is toenable their insertion in the opposite direction, 2'. 62., passing firstthrough the claw 19 and then through the claw 18 as seen in Fig. 6. Itwill be seen by reference to the drawing that when thus inserted, thepart 22 of the support will extend in the opposite direction from theclaws 18, 19, with respect to the swivel pivot 15, from that in which itpreviously extended. What may be called the net length of the support,2'. e., the distance of the swivel 15 from the free end of the support22 is in one arrangement approximately the length of the part 22 plusthe distance of the claws 18, 19 from the swivel pin, and in the otherarrangement is the length of the part 22 minus the distance from theclaws to the swivel pin.

The adaptability of the device to enable an oblong frame to stand oneither end, or either side, or to hang with either end, or either side,up will now be manifest. For use to support the frame or to hang it withone of its long sides down as in Fig. 1, it may be arranged so that theprop 22 starting from where it is held in the claw runs across theswivel center. For supporting or hanging the frame with the other longside down, the support 22, and swivel plate 16 are to be turned 180 onthe swivel. For standing or hanging the picture on one of the shorteredges, the prop thus arranged may not be considered long enough. It willbe observed, for example, that in turning these parts on the swivel, asjust described, the free end of the support as it swings by the shortside of the frame does not reach the edge of the frame. The inventiontherefore provides means for extracting the hinge pin 23 andre-inserting it in the opposite direction, so that the part 22 does notlie across the swivel pin; but starts between the pivot and the side ofthe frame which it is to be up (Fig. 6) and when thus reinforced inlength by the distance from the swivel to the claw, it is long enough toreach the more distant edge of the frame and beyond as far as needed forconvenient hanging. It may also be used in this position to stand theframe on a shelf at a desirable angle, like an easel; but the picturewould be upside down. The swivel 15 permit-s this inversion to becorrected, by turning the swivel plate 180 on its pivot. This avoidsremoval and readjustment of the picture in the frame, or

inversion of the frame, which sometimes is not feasible.

A modification of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 is shown inFig. Gwhere the raised portion 20 of the back is omitted and theequivalent of the recess 21 is a hole 21, cut through the material ofthe back 10.

While the device has been shown in the drawings as applied to a pictureframe of conventional form, it will be obvious that any method might beemployed for attaching the part herein called, the back to the picture,placque, card or other article; and

in the claims the word frame is used in its broadest sense signifyingthe means or part by which the picture is sustained; and in otherrespects variations may be made from the precise form illustrated,without departing from the scope of the patent.

I claim as my invention '1. The combination, with a picture frame or thelike having its length and its width of different dimensions, of a plateswiveled on the back of the frame, a rigid support of fixed lengthfastened to the plate at a distance from its swivel, and means wherebythe said support may occupy a position on that side of its fasteningwhich is toward the swivel or on that side of its fastening which isfrom the swivel, whereby the said distance equalizes said length ofsupport with respect to the dimensions of the frame so that the fixedlength is suitable for holding the frame with either its long or itsshort dimension upright.

2. A support for picture frames and the like comprising a plate swiveledon the back of the frame, a stiff support of fixed length detachablyfastened to the plate at a distance from the swivel, means to attach thesupport so that it may occupy diverse positions, one with the supportlying across the swivel and the other with it lying in the oppositedirection, said support being arranged to swing between a position ofparallelism with the frame and a position of angular projectiontherefrom, and means to limit the swinging of said support away fromparallelism with the frame.

3. A support for picture frames and the like comprising a plate swiveledon the back of the frame, and a support fastened detachably to the plateat a distance from the swivel, the fastening comprising a hinge, onemember of which is formed on said support and the other on the plate,these two members being separable and attachable together in reversedposition.

4. A support for picture frames and the like comprising a plate swiveledon the back of the frame and having a claw at a distance from. theswivel in combination with a support having a member engaged between theclaw and the back of the frame; said engagement constituting a hinge;means for engagement between the back and the support to limit the swingof the support about said hinge; said member being removable andreinsertible in the same place in reversed position.

5. A support for picture frames and the like comprising a plate swiveledon the back of the frame and having a spring claw pressing toward theback of the frame in combination with a support for the frame having ashaft normally positioned between the claw and the back, the end of theshaft projecting to one side thereof, whereby when the support is turnedon the shaft said projection engages the back and causes a firmerfrictional clasp; there being a recess in the back, wherein theprojection may enter, thereby relieving the frictional grasp andfacilitating extraction of the shaft from the claw; the said projectionbeing formed to engage the claw and retain the shaft in position whennot so turned toward the back.

6. A support for picture frames and the like comprising the combinationof a back of the frame having an elevated central portion and anexternal recess therein, a spring plate swiveled in said elevatedportion, a support having a shaft engaged between the plate and the backat a distance from the swivel, there being a projection formed on saidshaft which normally holds the shaft in position by engaging the platewhen the support is at one angle and by elevating the plate andincreasing its pressure when the support is at another angle, the saidprojection being adapted to enter said recess when turned about theswivel, whereby the pressure is relieved and extraction of the shaftfacilitated.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 26th day of November, 1910.

NILS P. SEABERG.

\Nitnesses JOSEPH T. BRENNAN, MARY A. OBRIEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

